Clear as mud, or crystal clear – where do your water recycling efforts sit on the spectrum?

The food industry has long been associated with high consumption rates of water per ton of food product processed, with increasing volumes of wastewater generated while preparing produce for market. Water volumes used at each stage in the line are a major concern, particularly as tighter regulations and legislation is being enforced.

A push to increase the re-use of processing water has long been a topic of conversation, and various tactics have been implemented already. Initially, the awareness was on the overall water use of a processing line, however as technology capabilities have been improving, we have been able to refine this to succinct areas in the line. With the main proportion of wastewater generated in the washing and processing section, this is an area of significance for us to consider as we continue to provide complete line solutions to our customers in countries right across the globe with increasing requirements to adhere to.

The beginning of 2018 marked a new relationship between Wyma and REI (Recovered Energy, Inc.), this collaborative effort brought the “Mud Separator” to the Wyma portfolio. See movie here.

This piece of equipment can be integrated into your new or existing line, seamlessly extracting mud from the collected wastewater. Solids can be transported away as a controlled drip-free discharge, while the cleaned water can be returned back into the processing line.

Adding this component into your processing line as part of your waste management system allows for a continuous operation with no disruption to the processing efficiency. Sediments are isolated within your pack-house and the water is recycled without the need for polymers, flocculants or coagulants.

The Mud Separator is part of our Water Recycling product family that allows us to further extend our reach, remain efficient and competitive while providing a complete line solution for customers.

The concept has been very popular, with multiple sales across North America and Europe this summer as customers worldwide are taking advantage of its ability to reduce the cost of managing wastewater from vegetable washing processes. One such customer in Germany, approached Wyma with the key goal in mind of reducing their water consumption and how they can remain competitive with tightening legislation around wastewater.

Regardless of the extent of your operations, there should always be a consideration on water recycling – it’s often a surprise how short their payback periods are, and how easy they can be to integrate into your processing line.

If you would like to reduce your water usage and costs, improve the environmental sustainability of your business and gain control over a key aspect of your operations, please read more about the Mud Separator here, or contact your local Wyma Territory Manager.

Look out for further conversation around water management early in the New Year from Wyma, as we gain feedback from others in the industry about how they are changing their tact to make gains on their recycling efforts.

Some recommendations we suggest you consider include:

Understanding the clear regulations that have been set out by your local and/or national government regarding wastewater management.

Design your fresh vegetable processing line so that the solids and water can be separated from one another.

When planning water use, consider how you will maintain a high level of water hygiene right throughout your line.

Understand how and where you can monitor the water consumption, can you localise main consumption points?

Understand the varying concentrations of wastewater throughout the line, so that you can maximise the utilisation of waste removal and water recycling equipment options.

Water use should be observed regularly, with water treatment options adapted to take the seasonal variations as produce is processed.